by the way they are anti Rafa over there. vast majority of them don't care for Rafa.
especially their admin and their mods. who, in turn, affect and infect some of the posters.
People never to cease to amaze me. They believe what others tell them and they have vilified Rafa from the beginning because they viewed him as a threat to Federer. I had an old article where this writer actually admitted it, but it was before I changed computers. They make up all kinds of lies and innuendos against Rafa and they still do to this day. Every chance they get to diminish Rafa, they take.
And so many people, who view them as "experts" follow right along with the program. The odd thing is that this is prevalent in all world systems. I actually think people are programmed from the start to follow the status quo. Even when you look at the educational systems you are taught to accept whatever your teacher tells you even if it doesn't make sense. It's the same way that women have bought into the notion of "beauty at all costs" even if the tight, ill-shaped, steep high heels mess up their body alignment and lead to back problems later in life. People seem to lack the sense to say, "hey, this is illogical." They just go with the norms without using an ounce of brain power.
When I was younger, seven, I didn't agree with our family's religion. It didn't make sense to me and when I asked questions they were met with disdain and no answers. They kept telling me that I had to have "faith" as if the problem rested with me. But,even as a child I knew what was right and what was wrong and as soon as I grew a bit older I made the decision to leave that religion and seek what worked best for me. It amazes me how so many people have their parents' religion. Are they the same people, with the same thoughts? or have they given no thought to something as vast as faith; even whether or not to have faith? No, it's just follow the prevailing theory. I can't wrap my head around it and I have raised my son to know that faith is a personal choice and a decision that he has to make for himself. What would I profit for him to follow in my footsteps for fear that I would disdain his choice.
So, no matter what they see in Rafa; the humility, the giving credit to his opponents, the never talking trash about others in the press, they come up with this cockamamie, twenty-five second rules in order to find something to fault him for. This rule was never enforced historically. No one even thought about that BS, but to have something negative to say, they used this ignorance and many people bought into it and Rafa became a "cheater." WTH is wrong with these mindless idiots, LOL? They continually passed on stories of him doping based on how "big" he was, but use your eyes people, Stan and Tsonga are much more powerfully built than Rafa, and those who have been called out on drugs suspicion are soon forgotten, but every now and then they keep trying to pin that rap on Rafa.
Still, isn't it weird that in Rafa's worst year ever on tour, those fans on TW are still consumed with him? Why would they are? Insecurity, I think.
But, speaking of Rafa's worst year, statistically he's not doing bad. He's only lost a few percentage points in the statistical categories, and some he hasn't lost at all. With the worst performances of his career he has still ended up #5 in the race against those outside of the top ten who never missed a day. He has still joined the over 50 plus club per year of wins, and yet people are acting like it's all gloom and doom.
Name one player who hasn't had a rough year? There isn't one, but Rafa is supposed to be this flawed, yet mythical person who on the one hand, isn't talented and depends only on hard work, yet on the other hand, he's supposed to be on the top of the heap. It is a total contraction and makes no sense. Ferrer is a hard worker and he has not one major as a result of it.
Rafa's playing nowhere near his usual level and yet as ATP rewards go he's still in the ATP Tour Finals with for him have been horrendous results. Personally, I was anticipating that he would eventually have a "bad" year because I don't know one player who didn't, ever. From where he started in 2015, not getting past the early rounds, it is encouraging to be to see him gaining some consistency and making it to SFs and finals within the last few months. It's called progress and digging yourself out of a hole.
For the top guys, all that matters is number of majors, that's their benchmark, not how well you played or what your ranking is. Who remembers how many tournaments Pete won in 1989? Nobody. You'd have to look that up because over time it becomes irrelevant, but any fan can tell you how many majors he has, because that was his benchmark.
Fast forward to 2015 and no one won a major this year outside of Djokovic and the constantly inconsistent Stan. Rafa won one last year, Federer three years ago, and I'm not excusing his age since he has been in good health without missing any important tournaments and reaching semis and finals. And Andy last won one when? But nothing is said in this regard. Oh no, let's focus on Rafa who lost half a damn year with injury and expect him to come back playing like a god.
It's all total BS to me. I don't buy it for one minute. Unfortunately, the masses don't agree with me, but I think what I say makes more sense.